Much work is presently being done on the achievement of ignition and burn of fusion fuel such as, for example, deuterium-tritium in pellet form. While there are a number of different approaches to this problem, one of them includes the utilization of a source of energy from a laser and particular pellet configurations which will make it possible to achieve ignition and burn in a reaction chamber. Patents which illustrate generally the apparatus which can be used in this type of system are:
Hedstrom: U.S. Pat. No. 3,762,993--Oct. 2, 1973;
Whittlesey: U.S. Pat. No. 3,378,446--Apr. 16, 1968;
Daiber: U.S. Pat. No. 3,489,645--Jan. 13, 1970.
Many other U.S. patents issued in this field recently, e.g. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,802,993; 3,748,226; 3,624,239; 3,152,958; 3,037,922; 3,748,226 and 3,152,958, exemplify the state of the art for production of chemicals by exposure to nuclear radiation in both fusion and fission reactor environment.
Publications which show the details of construction of the reactors, laser systems and report the status of the art include:
(a) Research/Development, May 1975, Vol. 26, No. 5, pp 55ff., "Thermonuclear fusion research with high-power lasers", an article showing fusion optics structure and requirements.
(b) "Plasma Physics and Controlled Nuclear Fusion Research", 1974, Vol. II, International Atomic Energy Agency Vienna, which defines detailed conditions of target physics in laser fusion reactions.
(c) Laser Focus, September 1975, pp 39ff., "More Evidence that Fusion Works", an article showing the production of neutrons by the laser-fusion process.
(d) Advances in Nuclear Science and Technology, 1962, Academic Press, a general report of chemonuclear reactors and chemical processing.
(e) KMS Optical Systems brochure pricing laser fusion systems and fuel pellets in the commercial market.
(f) A joint KMS Industries and General Electric catalog of commercially available Laser Systems for Plasma Research (E H M 12,214).
(g) Lawrence Livermore Laboratory reports including UCID 16850 reporting DT Fusion neutron radiation of various chemicals.
(h) "Advances in Activation Analysis", Vol. 2, Academic Press, 1972, activation analysis with 14 MeV neutron generators, and
(i) "The relevance of various neutron sources to Fusion-Reactor Radiation Effects", Nuclear Technology, Vol. 22, April 1974.
All of the aforesaid art is incorporated into and made part of this specification and disclosure.
Therefore, it is clear that the status of the art is well known, and it is unnecessary in this disclosure to obscure the nature of the invention in a myriad of details within the skill of those currently working in the nuclear arts.